


The Name Game

by the soul (v0ltaire)



Category: My Chemical Romance
Genre: Alternate Universe - Space, Gen, Star Trek Fusion, scifi, vulcan! mikey way
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-29
Updated: 2019-08-29
Packaged: 2020-09-29 22:27:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20443565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/v0ltaire/pseuds/the%20soul
Summary: Mikey is back after a two year trip away for his education. He inquires about the use of his nickname to Gerard, who doesn’t take it kindly.





	The Name Game

**Author's Note:**

> fusions are their own kind of mess and i’m revisiting trek for the first time in a few years so my memory may be hazy about settings and canon and lore so for that i apologize, otherwise pls enjoy :)

The Name Game

Gerard remembers the conversation with Mikey when they were 16 and 12 much differently than his brother recounts it.

Gerard recalls Mikey’s outrage, frustration and lack of ability to communicate exactly how he felt on the subject. While Mikey recalls simply being somewhat at a loss for the customs he was unused to. 

They were half brothers but this was unimportant in that their bond was stronger than most full brothers. Mikey is, as Gerard would say, half-Vulcan. While Mikey would say he is simply a citizen of the federation with interspecies heritage. Gerard would comment on how wordy that was, but Mikey would counter with how often Gerard spoke without really saying anything of great importance.

The evening was a regular one on their Earth home, and Mikey was back from his time on New Vulcan after nearly two years away. To Gerard, who was devoted and doting on his baby brother perhaps even more than their mother, was most excited to meet him back. He exclaimed Mikey’s name and enveloped him in a hug to which his brother did not respond but to pat Gerard on the back with the courtesy of acknowledgment. 

Gerard was unphased, and when they parted he bombarded Mikey with all the questions he’d been preparing and then some more as they made their way back to their mother’s residence. It was a cozy home with four rooms and an open common area that doubled as the kitchen. Mikey remembers the comforting feeling of the scented air and the decor, their mother would be pleased to see him and surely more thoughtful of the Vulcan ways that he had spent the last years growing accustomed to. 

Truthfully he could tell she was restraining herself but the effort he could infer on her part was almost more deserving than his brother’s boldness. He was appreciative of her kind smile and simple hello. 

It happened at dinner after he had recited the syllabus of his last year’s training along with his results which were between satisfactory and excelling. His father was firm but not impersonal about rewarding his achievements and his mother’s open enthusiasm was a welcome difference. Gerard continued to ask him questions, and it was close to finishing as their mother took their plates that it occurred to him a difference between his Earth home and his New Vulcan home. 

“Gerard, I realize the meaning behind your use of my childhood nickname and haven’t thought much of it before.”, Mikey began, “But my experiences on New Vulcan differed greatly to here. My name is an English name, and my fellow students on New Vulcan called me Michael in full as to acknowledge that heritage. This is what I’ve become accustomed to, and I wonder if you would mind honouring that in how you refer to me from now on.”

Gerard, for the first time was dead silent, eyeing his brother in surprise. He replied, “I think absolutely the fuck not.”

“Language!”, Donna tutted over her shoulder.

Mikey refrained himself from laughing, and grimacing, and remained neutral, “Why not?” he asked.

Gerard huffed, “I’m never ever going to tell you what you can’t do, but the same goes for me. I think this education in all the Vulcanisms is really rad, but you’re human, too. Which means depending on where you are and who you’re with you have to adapt. It’s survival, Mikeyway. Which also means that I get to call you your diminutive name when you are home and in my presence because I have always called you that and, guess what? I always will.”

“What if I legally changed my name?”, Mikey asked, challenging but tonally even.

“Then I would figure out a new nickname and you’d have to deal with that one instead.”, Gerard lifted a brow and stuck out his tongue with a little smile. He downed the rest of his fizzy drink and left the table to put his dish in the washer machine. 

Mikey would stew on this for several days, as to him the nickname was childish and only held as a reminder for the aspects of himself he was learning to control. His human side provided him with interesting challenges on New Vulcan, but he found that due to their impulsiveness or rather, Gerard’s, his Vulcan half seemed to present much more treacherous problems back here on earth. He wasn’t so inexperienced that he couldn’t read those around him, but two years away during fundamental adolescent development definitely put a strain on his brother’s perception of him.

What Mikey remembered from childhood was the same Gerard he had now: the outspoken, dreamy type that wouldn’t take no for an answer. He’d always admired the gumption of his brother but grew weary now of the stubbornness he had been reacquainted with.

He brought it up again another day as they were sitting in the common room reading on their own personal devices. Mikey said, “I’ve been thinking about dinner from the night I returned and I was hoping to revisit the topic you dismissed.” 

“Well, sure.” Gerard sighed, he turned off the screen of his device and set the pad down on the table nearest himself. 

“My question stands: Why not?”, Mikey asked.

“Hm,” Gerard nodded, “Because... ‘why not’ is not a reason to do something. How’s that?”

Mikey nodded, “There is nothing corrected by doing so, I understand. Other than my personal preference and comfort which is something, I also understand, you value very much.”

Gerard grinned, and Mikey could see in the crinkle of his brother’s eye the open affection, and his heart fluttered because it was something he’d grown to forget on New Vulcan. Gerard said, “You’re very right. You are my favourite person in all the worlds but I still would not sacrifice the use of your name just because you claim to prefer the stuffy formality of your schoolmates. I, for one, don’t give a goddamn what they think about your roots.”

Mikey stiffened, “Thats not the point.” 

“Then what is?”, Gerard asked.

“I’m asking for your understanding.”, Mikey said decisively, “For example if you came to me asking to be referred to as something else, even if it appeared outrageous, because it is you, I would be willing to do it.”

“Outrageous, huh?”, Gerard sat back in his seat and crossed his arms, “If I asked you to describe me as you would a horney toad, would you do it?”

“That’s a very different request—“ Mikey tried.

“So you wouldn’t.”, Gerard interrupted, “Which means we’re back at why not, which means that if you’re pushing for it this hard there’s an ulterior motive. What’s wrong?”

Mikey’s face was green, he was sure of it, his exepression was ever unrevealing but it was no use. He felt as though he might burst, “I’m simply asking for the sake of it. No need to bother yourself.” He said, and stood up. “I’ll be going to my room now. I’d prefer to be alone.” and promptly he left. 

Gerard was stuck in his chair, as in he felt glued there by sheer force of the shock he felt. He was sure they were just playing at a simple game of wits, no harm, but concern was full in his chest as his little brother stormed away in clear distress. All because Gerard had decided to pick a scab over a welting messy cut. He decided he wouldn’t bother Mikey for a good while, probably not until closer to evening. 

When dinner came and went without a show, Donna suggested he take the cold plate to Mikey’s door personally, and so he went. With a timid knock, very unlike himself, he entered the room without waiting for a reply and settled the plate on the desk to his immediate right. The bed was in the far corner, and slumped under the covers was Mikey Way. Gerard’s furrowed brow deepened and he closed the door behind himself, stepping forward to sit on the corner of the bed. Mikey did not stir.

“I’m so sorry,” Gerard started quietly, “I didn’t mean to push you so far. If you’re dealing with something you can talk to me about it anytime, you know. I’m always here. Even when I might not understand.”

Mikey sat up, the blanket pooling around his waist. His hair was a mess and his face was splotchy as if he’d been leaking tears, “Thank you.” he said, “I should tell you the root of my distress.”

“You don’t have to, only if you want to. I don’t need to know.” Gerard said, a fond laugh under his breath at Mikey’s continuous blank demeanour. 

“I want to.”, Mikey nodded, “My request came from the fact that my name caused much separation between myself and my fellow students. It’s the one obvious thing about me other than my impaired vision. I was unused to feeling inferior and it was something I struggled to understand on a personal level. So when I became more integrated, that was one of the few human characteristics I felt had never really stopped being responsible for my feeling otheredness.”

“So it is natural to assume,” Gerard said, “That I picked a pretty brittle bone.”

“Yeah,” Mikey said, and he sniffed and smiled a little. 

Gerard apologized again, and hugged Mikey in a very constricting embrace. 

They rarely brought it up anymore, the two compromising on little things. Mikey took Gerard’s advice on adaptation to heart. The adoration and respect he felt for his older brother, he decided, would not interfere with his use of logic or suppression of other emotions. In fact, he would not suppress himself at all, he decided, he would only learn to discipline himself and… adapt.

end


End file.
